Youngho Kang Photography

Who are you?

Artist statement for project "Who are you?", by Youngho Kang

In 2011 I had a chance to make documentary photos for the first female president of South Korea, Geun-Hye Park during her campaign for election. I mainly photographed from her backside, I wanted to know her viewpoint and show her reflection in the public’s expressions. I thought of the public as her mirror. She succeeded in becoming the president.

Unfortunately she was impeached by the public in early 2017. From 2016 the public had realized themselves not to be her mirror anymore. She had mainly looked for a pursued personal relationship. Many people were disappointed with her. I could not help but want to ask “is our sophisticated judgement about the choice of president reasonable?”. I thought we may choose with wrong or otherwise trumped-up information/belief. Thus, I would rather suggest an intuitive and subjective sensation rather than objective information; that is the impression of the “Face”. I believe that in our age of deluged information, our intuition about someone’s portrait can be more correct.

I have worked with the representative politicians in South Korea for six months in a project titled “Who are you?”, a project which started with (then) President, Geun-Hye Park. I interviewed them and captured their special photographs. I am not a politically inclined person, as an artist I want to take photos that focus on humanism, without any political prejudice. The main way of taking pictures is with the politicians wearing a black turtleneck. I recommend the black turtleneck in order to help the audience focus on the subject’s face. All the subjects in my project are potential candidates for the being the next president. We call them “Submerged Dragons” (a dragon that has yet to start flying), in South Korea.

Now, I have published my project in daily newspapers before the election.

(The photos in this project are taken between February 2016 and March 2017, in Seoul, South Korea.)

Biography for Youngho Kang

He majored in French Literature and has no special education in photography, he is self-taught. Regardless of these conditions he could in a short time rise to the top among commercial photographers.

What differentiates Mr. Kang from other photographers is his powerful ability of extracting what is inside his subjects through deep interviewing that is based in humanities. For him, communication and comprehension with the models is more important than taking the photos. Photographing is to him a mere proof of the meeting having taken place. He always tries to discover the invisible things that even the models are not aware of. Past subjects say that his unique communication is like psychological healing counselling.

To him the image is an important clue to judge about the essence. He wants to upgrade the level of images portraying social representatives; he aims to display them as cultural symbols of South Korea in the point-of-view of an artist.

Jae-In Moon, Current President of South Korea

Moon was elected after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Jae-In Moon, Current President of South Korea

Moon was elected after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Jae-In Moon, Current President of South Korea

Moon was elected after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Jae-In Moon, Current President of South Korea

Moon was elected after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Geun-Hye Park, Former President of South Korea

She was the first female president and also the first president to be impeached in South Korea. The public wanted her impeached for her false acting and giving power in state-affairs (among others) to a previously unknown civilian.

Geun-Hye Park, Former President of South Korea

She was the first female president and also the first president to be impeached in South Korea. The public wanted her impeached for her false acting and giving power in state-affairs (among others) to a previously unknown civilian.

Cheol-Soo Ahn, Former Chairman of People's Party

Before entering the political sphere, he was famous as a mentor to the public - he was not a politician. When Geun-Hye Park was elected as president he was her strongest rival, but he passed the power to Jae-In Moon. Last time he gave up, but this time he does not plan to do it, he insists he has to be the next president.

Cheol-Soo Ahn, Former Chairman of People's Party

Before entering the political sphere, he was famous as a mentor to the public - he was not a politician. When Geun-Hye Park was elected as president he was her strongest rival, but he passed the power to Jae-In Moon. Last time he gave up, but this time he does not plan to do it, he insists he has to be the next president.

Gov. Hee-Jung An

Prior to the impeachment of Geun-Hye Park, Gov. An was not very known. Recently however he has emerged as the second favourite candidate in the presidential election. His character looks like both sides, conservative and progressive. He is the youngest among the candidates.

Gov. Hee-Jung An

Prior to the impeachment of Geun-Hye Park, Gov. An was not very known. Recently however he has emerged as the second favourite candidate in the presidential election. His character looks like both sides, conservative and progressive. He is the youngest among the candidates.

Mayor Jae-Myung Lee

Recently Mayor Lee was figured out to be like a dark horse. His nickname was "7-up". This is because his political mentions are at the eye-level of the public; easily understood and at times radical. His cool opinion concerning the impeachment of Geun-Hye Park was well-received.

Mayor Jae-Myung Lee

Recently Mayor Lee was figured out to be like a dark horse. His nickname was "7-up". This is because his political mentions are at the eye-level of the public; easily understood and at times radical. His cool opinion concerning the impeachment of Geun-Hye Park was well-received.

Gov. Kyung-Pil Nam

Gov. Nam is on the conservative side, but in that side he is a very progressive person.

Gov. Kyung-Pil Nam

Gov. Nam is on the conservative side, but in that side he is a very progressive person.

Rep. Seung-Min Yoo

Rep. Yoo was one of the most important member by Geun-Hye Park's side. However, because of causing discomfort with his preference of doing the right thing, their relation was broken. Later, Mrs. Park said that he betrayed her.

Rep. Seung-Min Yoo

Rep. Yoo was one of the most important member by Geun-Hye Park's side. However, because of causing discomfort with his preference of doing the right thing, their relation was broken. Later, Mrs. Park said that he betrayed her.

Moo-Sung Kim, Former Chairman of the Saenuri Party

He gave up in the presidential race a few months ago. Rep. Kim was a lawmaker in Geun-Hye Park's part. At the time of the photo he had taken a 1 months break in order to tour local places in South Korea and listen to their opinions, at which time he decided not to shave.

Moo-Sung Kim, Former Chairman of the Saenuri Party

He gave up in the presidential race a few months ago. Rep. Kim was a lawmaker in Geun-Hye Park's part. At the time of the photo he had taken a 1 months break in order to tour local places in South Korea and listen to their opinions, at which time he decided not to shave.

Mayor Won-Soon Park

Mayor Park, of Seoul city, has a working style that the people like. Prior to deciding to stop running for president, he was placed in the Top 3.

Mayor Won-Soon Park

Mayor Park, of Seoul city, has a working style that the people like. Prior to deciding to stop running for president, he was placed in the Top 3.

Youngho Kang Photography

Youngho Kang was born in 1970, Seoul, South Korea.
He is well known as a commercial photographer in South Korea. His nickname is “Dancing Photographer”, a nickname given to him because of his unique shooting style, which is that while taking pictures he communicates with the model through dancing, or very much as a conductor, with music always playing in the background.